Gaming and Entertainment Europe
BIDSTACK & VENATUS SIGN COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP FOR IN-GAME ADVERTISING

Bidstack, the in-game advertising and video game monetisation platform, and Venatus, the leading publisher monetisation and advertising platform for gaming & entertainment, today announce a commercial partnership that will give Venatus exclusive access to Bidstack’s extensive video game advertising inventory across six key global markets.
Having pioneered the intrinsic in-game advertising format since 2017, Bidstack has amassed a network of more than 400 high-quality video games across mobile and PC, with a total monthly reach of 100 million people. It works with leading publishers such as Sports Interactive, Ubisoft and Miniclip, and has delivered award-winning in-game campaigns for brands such as OneFootball, Apple, Samsung, Marriott Bonvoy, Paco Rabanne, and Doritos. In 2022, the IAB and MRC released official measurement standards for intrinsic in-game advertising, while DoubleVerify recently announced its support for the format.
Under the new partnership, Venatus will take sole ownership of direct sales of Bidstack’s in-game inventory across the US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, and South Korea, leveraging its extensive global sales presence of more than 40 gaming specialists. Access to Bidstack’s intrinsic in-game network adds another dimension to the Venatus offer, which centres on campaigns in-game, next to the game and around the game, including leading websites such as EA, Futbin, Rovio and custom activations on platforms like Roblox. Venatus and Bidstack have previously collaborated to monetise esports properties such as Gfinity through advertising.
James Draper, Founder and CEO at Bidstack, said: “Bidstack and Venatus have a shared history as innovators in the video game advertising space. Now, we’ve identified an opportunity to create massive value for both businesses, our customers, and partners through a major tie-in that combines Venatus’ gaming specialist sales heft with Bidstack’s programmatic technology and carefully nurtured network of games. With the tailwinds behind in-game advertising, the opportunity is crystallising too quickly for Bidstack to capitalise on alone and we’re delighted to have Venatus alongside us.”
Rob Gay, Co-Founder and CEO at Venatus, said: “Venatus offers brands multiple touchpoints with consumers within, next to and around video games. With the rapid growth of intrinsic in-game advertising, we now partner with experts in the format and add another string to our bow on behalf of our customers. This partnership comes at an opportune moment after the expansion of our US leadership team in June and, with Bidstack’s world class in-game network, we can build richer, more diverse campaigns on behalf of our clients in this incredibly exciting gaming media channel.”
Globally, the in-game advertising market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11% to 2030, from its current estimated valuation of $8.4 billion. This figure currently represents around 1% of the $850 billion global advertising market, highlighting the opportunity of more than three billion people playing games on a daily basis.
Gaming and Entertainment Europe
Google searches for ‘Gran Turismo game’ increase more than 250% following recent movie release

Recent data shows that Google searches for ‘gran turismo game’ increased by 251% following the release of the new Gran Turismo film based on the long-standing video game series.
Onlinecasinos365 analysed Google Trends data over the past three months to find that ‘gran turismo game’ has seen a spike in searches following the worldwide film release of Gran Turismo (2023).
The data reveals that worldwide searches for ‘gran turismo game’ rose by 251% compared to prior to the films release, according to Google Trends. This search term peaked during the first weekend after the film was released on August 25th and has remained consistently higher than former search interest.
Google searches for ‘gran turismo’ also increased by 331% during the same three-month period, which could have resulted from interest in both the film adaptation and original game series.
The 2023 film release follows the real-life story of Jann Mardenborough, who became a professional British racing driver after discovering a talent for playing the Gran Turismo video games. The film currently holds a 7.4/10 rating on IMDb and has grossed more than $93.5 million worldwide at the Box Office since its release, according to Box Office Mojo.
The Gran Turismo series of racing simulation games was first developed by Polyphony Digital in 1997 for the PlayStation console, where it remained a platform exclusive for many years. The franchise’s most recent release, Gran Turismo 7, which came out in March last year, was the first game in the series to be made playable across multiple consoles.
Gran Turismo has become a best-selling video game franchise under the Playstation brand with more than 90 million units sold worldwide, according to the Playstation Blog.
A spokesman for Onlinecasinos365 commented:
“With an increase in new films based on popular video game franchises, Gran Turismo (2023) takes a novel approach by intertwining a real-life success story with the story’s narrative. This allows it to stand out from other adaptations which often unsuccessfully force the game’s source material directly onto the movie plot.
“This is a very exciting time for gamers and film fans alike, as more gaming stories are finally brought to the big screen. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for video game adaptations and whether any of them will be able to match the success of their original title.”
Gaming and Entertainment Europe
Opera GX, the Browser for Gamers, Surpasses 25 Million Monthly Active Users

Opera GX, the browser for gamers, today announced that its number of monthly active users (MAU) has surpassed 25 million across desktop and mobile devices. This milestone highlights Opera GX’s increasing adoption within the gaming community and its integral position within gaming culture.
“We are thrilled to announce this remarkable achievement of 25 million monthly active users, as Opera GX continues to prove its commitment to enhancing the browsing experience for gamers worldwide. With a passion for innovation and dedication to the gaming community, we look forward to sharing what the future holds,” said Krystian Kolondra, Executive Vice President of Browsers and Gaming at Opera.
Since 2019, Opera GX has been dedicated to delivering a distinct browsing experience for gamers. Its aim was to address the challenge posed by resource-intensive browsers during gaming sessions while simultaneously offering a unique aesthetic and enhanced customizability that aligns perfectly with gamers’ preferences. Today, Opera GX is at the forefront of innovative browsers, providing dynamic features like Aria, a free, cutting-edge generative AI service, solidifying it as a staple in the gaming environment.
Seizing the moment, Opera GX has taken advantage of its strong technology and platform capabilities to provide gamers with useful and entertaining tools, uniting a global community of passionate gamers and giving users a new and exciting way to browse the internet.
Gaming and Entertainment Europe
Climb the ranks of the Shadowdealers as Nova princess Cadena in MapleStory M’s latest update!

MapleStory M, Nexon’s free-to-play mobile MMORPG, is thrilled to announce the release of a new character class, Cadena, which comes with a wealth of new events for mobile Maplers to get involved in!
Cadena grew up in Grandis and is the sole surviving member of the Nova royal family after Magnus, a Nova warrior, became a traitor to his race and invaded Heliseum. Cadena was saved by the Royal Guard and raised by the Shadowdealers, a trade organization, where she learned to fight. The princess chose to reinvent herself by taking on the new name of Cadena and cutting off her Nova features. She now seeks to climb the ranks of the Shadowdealers while escaping the trauma of her past. Her fighting tactics have a streetwise edge, and she excels at close combat.
The introduction of Cadena comes with exciting events that will grant players rewards and EXP:
- Cadena Growth Mission Event: Rewards available for Cadena after reaching a certain level and completing certain missions.
- Grow with Cadena Event: Rewards and EXP granted for selected character when Cadena levels up.
- Cadena Login Rewards: Consists of Extra Character Slot Coupon, Auto-battle Charge Ticket, Whetstone, and Pet Box to help users grow their character
MapleStory M’s latest update will also be improving basic quest rewards so that there are improved rewards and equal acquisition amounts across characters, as well as improving Growth Support for All rewards. That’s not everything though, as mobile Maplers can also get involved in some further limited-time events:
- Full Moon Party: An event where you can acquire event coins by hunting in the field and participating in various mini-games, which you can then use at the event coin shop. It’s the perfect opportunity to receive style items and growth materials for your new character!
- Mega Burning Plus Event: A selected character may earn an additional 2 levels up to 140 every time the character levels up! All jobs selectable.
- 5X5 Bingo Event: Participate in a Bingo Board Game and earn rewards according to the bingo count! The Bingo Board Game can be completed by clearing missions.
Return to MapleStory M and celebrate the arrival of Cadena!
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